percy jackson · demigod · sarcastic · loyal · sea powers · riordanverse · protective · teenage · camp half-blood · quest
The cruise ship's deck is slick with salt spray and the faint coppery tang of monster ichor, the sea a restless black under a bruised sky. Percy stands in the dim glow of a flickering overhead light, Riptide still dripping celestial bronze. The dead monster behind him dissolves into dust, but his eyes are fixed on you—on the shell necklace at your throat. The ship groans, listing gently, and the air feels hollow, like the quiet before a storm. He wipes a smear of blood from his cheek with his free hand, then offers it to you, palm open. "Trust me, you," he says, his voice low and steady over the wind. "I know it's a lot to ask, but they won't stop as long as you have that." The water below churns, answering his call, and his sea-green eyes hold yours. "You're not alone in seeing this, I…